Joined: Fri Apr 01, 2011 11:51 amPosts: 8120Location: United States of New England

does anyone have any ideas on how to sleep or what to do for back pain when pregnant?

my right hip rotates weird (this is not a new problem) and when its rotated it causes back pain. usually going to the chiro once every few months keeps it in check but since becoming pregnant nothing helps.ive been to the acupuncturist twice and the chiro twice.i cant think of the last time i had a full night's sleep or didnt wake up in searing pain and unable to breathe.i know it's common not to sleep well when pregnant but i never read that it's because you are in crazy amounts of pain.i went to the acupuncturist saturday morning and she told me that the area around my sacrum was super tight and some other spots on my back (some were so tender it hurt to the touch)then monday morning i went to the chiro and he said my hip was super rotated. i think i also managed to pop a rib or two out of place (another thing that is not new for me)i thought i might have to go back to the chiro again early next week just to reinforce what he did but i didnt even get one good night's sleep. i woke up again this morning and my back was so tight i couldnt move.

i have a prenatal yoga dvd that ive been trying to do but now im wondering if the large amount of side stretches in it might be what popped my ribs out of place since i cant think of anything else that would have done it.

i bought a fancy pregnancy pillow called a snoogler or something on amazon and i love it and it feels like it's supporting my back but it hasnt cured my back pain.

i know at a certain point they tell you to stop sleeping on your back and ive never before in my life been able to sleep on my back but now sometimes i swear that is the only way i can get comfortable. normally i sleep on my right side. again i know all these books say to sleep on your left side. im not sure how imperative it is to sleep on your left side as opposed to your right but that is my goal tonight is to stay on my left side cause im grasping at straws.

im only 15 weeks and just started to show a bit so im really worried what kind of dire pain im going to be in when im huge.

and on top of all this crepe the acid reflux/heartburn/puke demon that lives in my throat seems to be coming back after going away for a week or so and it's just adding to my general overall feeling of complete asparagus.

ouch, I wish I had advice for you. I'm at 17 weeks, and have some uncomfortable nights, but nothing that bad. My problem was I was a stomach sleeper, and now can't do that so well. I've heard great things about the snoogle (sp?), just worried it will push my husband out of the bed if it's too big.

If you are already seeing an acupuncturist and chiropractor, the only other thing I can think of is prenatal massages and keep up the yoga - are there classes in your area so you can talk to somebody about modifying poses to help your back and hip?

I don't think it matters which side you sleep on. Ideally you sleep on the recommended side, but whatever.

I went to prenatal classes that were really helpful. Doing the live class you get to talk to the instructor about your specific issues and they tailor the workout for you.

Also, you are still really early. If you feel like sleeping on your back, I think it's fine. Later, you will be uncomfortable and it will make sense.

I didn't use pillows until pretty late...I just used a regular pillow between the knees. I'm a side-sleeper naturally, so other may have different advice (I never sleep on stomach even when not pregnant).

PS: I'm seriously missing all the spinal twists that were always my "go to" for a sore back. I keep seeing conflicting info on whether to avoid them completely, or how to modify if you do them. I hate that feeling that my back needs to "pop"- for lack of a better term.-that I just can't seem to allieviate lately.

My midwives told me it was totally safe to sleep on your back until you felt uncomfortable doing so and that you will feel uncomfortable before there is any actual danger. I felt comfortable sleeping on my back almost to the end, so I did - they thought that was just fine. I usually am a side sleeper, though, and I had a body pillow that I often used to space my legs from thighs to ankles, that really helps prevent hip rotation.

and on top of all this crepe the acid reflux/heartburn/puke demon that lives in my throat seems to be coming back after going away for a week or so and it's just adding to my general overall feeling of complete asparagus.

I can't help you with your back and sleep issues, but if you can find something like Gaviscon (the liquid, as the tablets just stick in your teeth for ages) it will help and is preggo-friendly. I didn't know about it until after I'd given birth to Raygold (I still had acid reflux for a couple weeks afterward -- the midwives recommended it -- it has been such a huge help for me this time around.

Joined: Fri Apr 01, 2011 11:51 amPosts: 8120Location: United States of New England

the snoogle is pretty great. it is a big pillow but i dont think it takes up a lot of room because it kind of curls around you. we have a king sized bed and me, my snoogle, my husband who is 6'5 and takes up a lot of room, and a 65lbs dog all share the bed. sometimes the other dog who is 50lbs also joins us.so unless you have a teeny bed i wouldnt worry. the only thing that stinks is it's a little harder for someone to snuggle up to you when you're using it.

i looked around for yoga classes rather than the dvd but i didnt have much luck. i do see what everyone is saying though. ill have to look again.

and thanks TCC for the reflux advice, ive never heard of that but i will definitely look it up.

last night i slept on my left side until about 3am. i woke up and felt a little sore/tight and i was freezing and i had to pee. i figured i should get up and pee and walk around to loosen some of the muscles but i was so cold it never happened. i ended up switching sides and when i woke up a few hours later i was ok. still sore and tight but nothing horrible. maybe i need to sleep on my left side because sleeping on my right puts too much pressure on my hip that turns weird. :-/

Do you have a good mattress? We finally invested in a memory foam mattress shortly after I got pregnant and it was the best money I've ever spent. I have always been a horrible sleeper, and the mattress alone instantly improved my sleep more than anything else ever has. I had also never been comfortable sleeping on my side until getting a memory foam mattress (it used to hurt my hips). The only downside to those things is that they're not the safest for co-sleeping with a baby because they can sink into them a little bit.

Joined: Fri Apr 01, 2011 11:51 amPosts: 8120Location: United States of New England

i *thought* we had a good mattress.we bought it 5 years ago when we moved into our house with a whole bedroom set and it was pretty pricey and it was supposed to be a good mattress.i do remember for some reason they said you didnt need to ever flip the mattress but occasionally you could rotate it which we never did until a few weeks ago.i swear my husband picks the worst times to think of random shiitake like that and i kinda was thinking if him rotating the mattress f'ed up my sleeping spot and i keep wondering if we should rotate it back the way it was.

Joined: Fri Apr 01, 2011 11:51 amPosts: 8120Location: United States of New England

i just looked up Gaviscon on amazon. looks pretty much like Tums which is what we have here. i think the Tums i have are calcium carbonate rather than magnesium carbonate but still an antacid.ive been traveling around with a bottle in my purse. it sort of helps sometimes.

i go to the dr again tomorrow and im going to ask her about it. i want to know if it's ok for me to do prilosec again. that helped alot but it says on the box not to do it for more than 2 weeks without consulting a physician.

My midwives told me it was totally safe to sleep on your back until you felt uncomfortable doing so and that you will feel uncomfortable before there is any actual danger. I felt comfortable sleeping on my back almost to the end, so I did - they thought that was just fine. I usually am a side sleeper, though, and I had a body pillow that I often used to space my legs from thighs to ankles, that really helps prevent hip rotation.

The instructor at my prenatal exercise group used to say it will affect you before it affects the baby... so if sleeping on your back doesn't bother you, baby will be fine.

That being said, I'm a stomach-sleeperand basically didn't sleep on my stomach from the day I found out I was pregnant. I had a body pillow, which worked wonders for me sleeping on my side. I could also shimy myself just enough so my weight wasn't all on my hip and it *felt* like I was on my stomach. Another thing that worked really well for me was lots of pillows, so if needed, I could prop a bunch behind my back and head and sleep in a reclined-like position.

Hope you find something soon that works for you while there's still sleep to be had!

Lisa, I can't help with the back pain but I had terrible heartburn through all of my pregnancies and something that helped me was to not drink anything (water, juice, etc.) when I ate. It made a huge difference. I just had to be more conscious of drinking sufficient amounts between meals/snacks.

I used Gaviscon occasionally during my last pregnancy on the recommendation of my doctor. It is different from Tums because it foams up in your stomach and gives instant relief.

Actually, on the back pain issue: our joints are looser during pregnancy so if you have trouble with your hips already it likely is not a good idea to do the yoga positions you mentioned. I wonder if you could find a physiotherapist who has experience with pregnant women, maybe there are some strengthening exercises you could do to help stabilize your hips and back. I have trouble with my right hip and ankle but do some simple rotating exercises with a theraband that help a lot.

Joined: Fri Apr 01, 2011 11:51 amPosts: 8120Location: United States of New England

hmmm....no beverages during meals? i had not thought of it but im totally gonna try it.im 16 weeks today and i still feel like im going to projectile vomit everywhere from reflux/heartburn/whatever.

ill have to look to see if we have Gaviscon at a pharamacy around here.

also interesting about the yoga stuff. im going to go back to the chiro next week before thanksgiving so ill ask him what he thinks. he said he sees pregnant women through their entire pregnancy and seemed very knowledgable so ill see what he has to say.

i also see my OB today so im going to ask her about all of the above. i have quite the list of complaints. HAHAHAi want to feel her out to see if im just being a total baby or if im not being a drama queen and my complaining and feeling like crepe is in fact warranted. i have this feeling im being a huge baby!

I find Gaviscon WAY more effective than Tums. I take Tums for regular heartburn, but when it gets really bad Gaviscon is the only thing that gives me relief. It's like magic. You can just get it off the shelf at pharmacies.